Legend (Part 2) (episode)
Legend Part 2 is the twenty-third episode in NCIS Season 6 and also the 136th episode of the entire NCIS series. This episode along with Legend Part 1 (episode) served as the two backdoor pilot episodes for the new spin-off series, NCIS: Los Angeles. Synopsis In Los Angeles, Gibbs and McGee along with the NCIS Office of Special Projects continue their search for a terrorist cell that is located somewhere in downtown L.A. but they face a battle on their hands and a race against the clock as Mossad Officer Michael Rivkin is searching for the same cell while back in Washington D.C., Tony, fearing Ziva's loyalty may not be towards NCIS begins conducting a top-secret investigation into Ziva's activities, one that could ultimately jeopardize their partnership. Prologue The episode opens with a recap of what happened in the previous episode and ends with NCIS Special Agent G. Callen, going undercover as deceased arms dealer, Liam Patrick Coyle while the buyer Liam/Callen is meeting is later revealed to be none other than Michael Rivkin, a spy for the Israeli Mossad and an associate of NCIS/Mossad Liaison Officer, Ziva David. In the Office of Special Projects building, as the deal between Callen and Rivkin continues, OSP Special Agent in Charge Lara Macy, the NCIS Major Case Response Team leader Leroy Jethro Gibbs and OSP Psychologist Nate Getz all watch it live via cameras placed around tiny spots in the hotel room. As this goes on, Tech Operator Eric Beale shows Gibbs's colleague, NCIS Special Agent Timothy McGee how they acquire a snapshot of their targets for identification. In the hotel room, Rivkin while opening the suitcase tells Callen that he met a man in Damascus who told him that Liam, the guy Callen is pretending to be was dead. "Well, let me know when he passes", Callen replies. "I'll come to his funeral". "Too late", Rivkin replies before aiming a gun at Callen. Back at Ops, Macy via her headset realizes that the operation's been blown and that the target at the center of the room has drawn a weapon while stating, "Abort. Abort. Target center of the room. Weapon drawn". In that instant and on Macy's command, Callen's colleagues, fellow NCIS Special Agents Sam Hanna and Kensi Blye burst into the room, their guns drawn. Sam identifies himself and Kensi as federal agents with the two then ordering Rivkin to drop his weapon. Rivkin relents, dropping his weapon onto the bed. While the stand-off continues, Callen glances into the TV and tells Macy that Rivkin wasn't going to shoot him before insisting that Rivkin personally tell Macy that he wasn't going to shoot Callen. With his hands up, Rivkin tells Macy and the OSP team that he wasn't going to shoot Callen. Gibbs just smirks, obviously amused. Nate then guesses that Rivkin was right given how there's no tension in the upper body and that Rivkin's voice is all wrong before quickly coming to the theory that Rivkin wasn't going to shoot Callen after all. As Macy heads off, Gibbs dryly remarks that it would have been embarrassing if he had. Macy snaps that there's no room for probabilities before asking Eric and McGee if they've gotten a match yet. McGee tells her that they just started but his words come to a grinding halt when a positive match appears up on the screen. He tells Gibbs of this who orders McGee to put it on the screen. While this goes on, McGee's stunned, wondering how it can be possible for them to get a hit in six seconds given the million of possibilities? The match then pops up on the big screen with Macy revealing that the man's name is Michael Rivkin. Back in the hotel room, with his gun still drawn on Rivkin and via an earpiece, Sam relays the information back to Kensi and Callen, informing them that the man they're holding at gunpoint is Michael Rivkin. Rivkin wants to know if they're FBI or CIA. "NCIS", Callen replies. Back in the Ops Centre, Nate remarks that Rivkin's way too confident and that things are about to go pear-shaped/ Back in the hotel room, Callen asks who Rivkin is. Rivkin replies that he's Mossad while back in the Ops Center, Gibbs is stunned just as McGee joins him. Callen wants to know if Rivkin can prove that. Rivkin admits that he can't but he knows someone who can before stating that the person is Ziva David. It then cuts to Gibbs and McGee who look at each other, stunned. Act One NCIS Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo steps off the elevator and arrives into the Bullpen with a cup of coffee just as Ziva is finishing up her call with someone and informing them she'll be right up. As Tony reaches his desk, Ziva hangs up and leaves her desk, announcing that she's going up to MTAC because Gibbs wants her to speak via tele-conference. Unsurprisingly, after abandoning his stuff, Tony follows her and in not too certain terms, tries to get Ziva to answer a question he's been dying to answer her. Ziva continues ignoring him and as they reach the stairway, stops Tony by informing him that no beverages are allowed in MTAC. Tony gives his coffee which is soy vanilla latte with no sugar added to a passer-by before joining Ziva who is edging closer towards MTAC. Now back on topic, Tony tells Ziva that the question was on the tip of his tongue but that he can't remember it and once Ziva's gained access, she and Tony head into the room and down the ramp with Tony still continuing his questions just as an MTAC Tech informs Ziva that OSP is standing by. Ziva nods and the tech brings OSP online with the call showing Gibbs and McGee in the main area while Macy and Nate hang in the background. After exchanging greetings, Gibbs tells McGee to put it up. Seconds later, a photo of Rivkin pops up on the big screen. Gibbs then asks Ziva if she recognizes him. As Tony looks on, Ziva hesitates for a second but Gibbs snaps at her and she admits that she does before confirming that it is Michael Rivkin and that Rivkin is a member of the Israeli Mossad. Macy wants to know if there's anything else Ziva can tell them about Rivkin with Ziva stating that there isn't and that she hasn't worked with Rivkin in some time. As Macy heads off, Gibbs tells Ziva that they will talk more about this later with Ziva agreeing and with that statement, the teleconference ends. Left alone in MTAC, Ziva then turns to Tony and states her belief that Tony didn't think she'd identify Rivkin and that it wasn't a question. Tony wants to know if there's anything she should tell him. "No. One word answer. I win", Ziva replies before walking off. Back at OSP, as Macy, Eric and Nate look on with Gibbs listening in, McGee reveals that Rivkin arrived in the U.S three days ago with his cover being an Israeli banker and that's all he and Eric have found so far before stating that they're still looking but Macy's more concerned with wanting to know what Rivkin's doing in the U.S. "Same thing we are", Gibbs confirms. "Tracking down a terrorist cell". This has everyone glancing at him, stunned. Back in the hotel room, Callen, Sam and Kensi are busy tag-teaming Rivkin, hoping he'll give them more information into the terrorist cell. Unfortunately, Rivkin is not so forthcoming with his smugness and skill at dodging the questions that Callen, Sam and Kensi eventually although Rivkin does tell them that one of the members is named Haziq. Macy loses patience and tells Sam to give Rivkin his cell. Sam throws Rivkin his cell phone and orders the Mossad operative to be polite. In a call via Sam's cell-phone, Macy tells him that she's sure he's aware that foreign intelligence agencies aren't authorized to operate in the U.S and she'd hate for his actions to cause an incident if he stayed here any longer. Rivkin defends himself, stating that they each have a job to do. Macy states that Rivkin's job is done and that he should go home before she hangs up. In the hotel room, Rivkin hangs up as well. Back in Ops, Macy asks for a status report on Rivkin's rental. Eric tells her that they've got a GPS tracker on the rental Rivkin is using. Macy then orders Sam to let Rivkin go. Back in the hotel, Rivkin gives Sam his phone back before heading for the door as Callen and Kensi look on. Just as Rivkin's about to leave, Sam gives the Mossad agent his gun back with Rivkin saying something in Hebrew which has Sam saying, "Yeah". Once the door's closed, the team realize that they've got four passports, four suitcases with Kensi remarking that Rivkin has already put one of the terrorists to sleep. As he gets to his feet, Callen remarks that it's one down and three to go. Back in Ops, Macy asks for outside surveillance. Eric then tells her it's on-screen. It then cuts to a live-feed of Rivkin getting into his rental before driving off. Macy then asks Mike Renko if he's got him. A few distances away, Renko states that he has before driving off to follow Rivkin, obviously staying a few feet away so as to not spook the Israeli. In Ops, Macy's busy giving orders. From the TV set, she tells Sam and Callen to go to Venice Beach and go through Quaderi's apartment while Kensi is to presumably shut the operation concerning the hotel room down. The three OSP agents glance at one another for a second before leaving the room. At Ops, Macy and Gibbs regroup and realize that in order for them to fully shut down the terrorist cell and to get to the members before Rivkin does, then they need to interrogate a living, breathing suspect instead of a dead one. Macy remarks that they've got to stay ahead of Rivkin until she can get approval to lock him up or send him home. Macy then brings up the subject concerning Ziva with Gibbs wondering if Macy wants if he trusts him because he does with his life. Gibbs and Macy then round on one another with Macy stating that Gibbs shouldn't judge her on past performances and that it was eighteen years ago. Gibbs wants to know what she found but when Macy doesn't say anything, he simply turns and walks off with Nate silently glancing at Macy from his position at the desk. Seconds later, Macy turns around and heads in the opposite direction, going up the steps to her office. Nate tries to follow her, only for McGee to stop him by asking him about what's going on. After listening, Nate reveals that terrorist cells are like families and that if they lost one of their own, then that could pressure them to step up the attack. Nate also mentions that their new cause of action should be to find the phone number of the man Rivkin mentioned. "Haziq", McGee states before asking Nate if Rivkin knows the identities of the members of the terrorist cell with Nate telling McGee that it was right there in Rivkin's smug smile and that Rivkin knows. With that, Nate gets up from his seat and walks off, leaving McGee sitting there, absorbing the information. Macy storms into her office, removing her scrunchie which causes her long hair to drop down, the hair going past Macy's shoulders and reaching as far as her hips. As she stands looking out the window, Nate arrives in and leaning against the doorway, asks her if she's alright. Macy rolls her eyes and tells him that she told him not to go there. Nate removes his headset before sitting down, remarking that Macy knows him too well. Still looking out the window, Macy bitterly remarks that no-one knows Nate but that Nate, being the psychologist for OSP knows everyone. Nate then tells her that he doesn't know Gibbs before stating that Macy and Gibbs go back eighteen years. This gets Macy's attention and she glances at him. Nate tells her that he wasn't listening before stating that it's an odd word, occasional phrase. Macy then turns around and sitting on a desk area, tells Nate that Gibbs was a gunnery sergeant while she was a young green Lieutenant in the military police determined to prove herself. Nate wants to know if they worked a case together and Macy tells him that he could say that. She then tells him that it was a JAG-man investigation, most notably a murder of which Macy herself was the lead investigator. Nate asks about Gibbs. Macy then tells Nate that Gibbs was the suspect. It then cuts to Nate who looks deeply lost in thought. Act Two Act Three Act Four Act Five Major Events *It's revealed that a year has passed since the events in Last Man Standing (episode). Trivia *Despite being credited, both David McCallum and Rocky Carroll do not appear in this episode. In addition, until Season 15 this was the only NCIS episode that did not have McCallum in it. *The song playing in the background while Kensi is smashing the headlights of her car before she threatens the group of gangbangers with her gun is Kevin Rudolf's In The City while the song, "Bag and Tag" from the original NCIS soundtrack is heard as the OSP team launch a raid on the garage where Callen is and Ours- Ran Away To Tell The World is later heard in the background, playing during the scenes that lead up to the drive-by shooting that leaves Callen badly wounded. *When Tony and Ziva are heading up to MTAC, Ziva's shirt regularly changes positions, draping on her shoulder, off one shoulder and even going off both shoulders at one point before it reverts back to normal just as she and Tony arrive in MTAC. *During the episode, Ziva remarks that no beverages are allowed in MTAC. However, this contradicts the fact that Gibbs has been seen bringing coffee in MTAC many times although it's possible that the rule could have changed after Vance became NCIS Director. Cast Series Regulars Recurring Cast Other Cast Category:NCIS Episodes Category:NCIS Season 6 Episodes Category:NCIS Episodes written by Shane Brennan Category:NCIS Episodes directed by James Whitmore, Jr. Category:Pilot Episodes Category:Crossover Episodes